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Methods of palaeogeographical modelling of possible freshwater bodies based on open access datasets provided by the Estonian Land Board are discussed, along with the landscape use of the recently surveyed palaeolagoons at the mouths of the rivers Vihterpalu, Teenuse and Velise (western Estonia) after Litorina Sea transgression maximum (ca 5300 BC). The site clusters by the Vihterpalu palaeolagoon can be dated to the Pre-Pottery Mesolithic or Narva stage (until 5200 BC and 5200–3900 BC, respectively). Human activity by the Velise lagoon probably started at the same time and intensified during the Comb Ware stage (3900–1750 BC). Two mineral surface depressions, sufficient to accommodate remnant lakes and presently covered by peat layers of mires deserve further attention. They are located in the Seljaküla, Variku and Keedika villages behind the coastal formations observable by the road connecting the Keila– Haapsalu main road with Nõva village. Similar depressions behind the coastal formations in the Teenuse–Velise area are not sufficient for freshwater bodies. The spatial pattern of smallscale aceramic settlement sites by the tributaries of the present-day River Kasari up to 10 km from the palaeocoastline suggests a highly persistent seasonal land use during the Comb Ware stage, comparable to the Neolithic settlement phase of Kunda Lammasmägi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The location choice of Stone Age settlements has been long considered to be influenced by environmental conditions. Proximity to water and sandy soils are most typical examples of those conditions. The notion of the influence resulted from the evidence from a relatively small amount of sites. During the recent decades the number of known settlements has increased to a level where statistical assessment of relation between environmental characteristics and settlement location choice is possible. To undertake this task we collected data about known Estonian Stone Age settlements and acquired environmental data of their locations using publicly available geological datasets. We provide univariate descriptive statistics of the distributions of variables describing site conditions and compare them to characteristics generally present in the environment. We experiment with a set of environmental variables including soil type, distance to water and a selection of geomorphometry derivatives of the digital elevation model. Quantitative assessment confirmed previous observations showing a significant effect towards the choice of sandy, dry location close to water bodies. The statistical analysis allowed us to assess the effect size of different characteristics. Proximity to water had the largest effect on settlement choice, while soil type was also of considerable importance. Abstract geomorphological variables such as Topographic Position Index and Topographic Wetness index also inform us about significant effects of surface forms. Differences of settlement locations during stages of the Stone Age are well observable. The environmental conditions of sites from the prepottery Mesolithic follow the general pattern but with the greater variation. Narva and Comb Ware stage settlement locations preferences are nearly identical to each other showing preference of sandy higher areas near the shoreline and indicating increased site investment. For Corded Ware period a new settlement mode is observable which is no longer directly related to water bodies and can be explained by semiagrarian subsistence and decreasing dependence on aquatic resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The settlement site of Kunda Lammasmägi and its surroundings have been studied extensively since the 19th century. Nevertheless, a number of questions on the nature of the settlement and its surrounding environment remain unanswered. In this paper, we will present paleolandscape reconstructions based on geology, palynology, micro- and macrofossil analysis and radiocarbon datings published by various researchers. We will also include recent LiDAR data, results of the fieldwork carried out by the authors at Kunda Lammasmägi and along the paleolake shoreline, as well as the results of the analysis of archaeological material accumulated from 1933 to 2016 with an emphasis on lithic finds and pottery. Recent fieldwork, digital elevation modelling and typo-chronological review of the finds have clarified issues, such as the extent of stratigraphical mixing, association between the settlement stages and the paleolake development, and the human activity in other parts of the paleolake depression. Three distinct phases can be observed in the development of environmental conditions of the Kunda depression: 1) until the beginning of the Atlantic pollen assemblage zone, Lammasmägi existed as an island in the southern part of a postglacial lake; 2) during the first half of the Atlantic, the water level dropped, a remnant lake was left in the northern part, and Lammasmägi existed as a seasonal island or higher place in the marsh; 3) by the beginning of the second half of the Atlantic, the remnant lake was partly overgrown and Lammasmägi was surrounded by dry land. The analysis of archaeological material enabled the differentiation of four settlement phases: 1) in the Early Mesolithic I and II; 2) in the Late Mesolithic I; 3) in the Late Mesolithic II; and 4) in the Neolithic until the beginning of the Bronze Age. The first two settlement stages can be associated with the paleolake, while the subsequent two are associated with the present-day Kunda River and other streams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]